Peripheral Visions
by JenniferJF
Summary: S/J Established. Series of drabbles/short ficlette snapshots set during Sam's stay on Atlantis.
1. Humor?

"That was her, then?" Zelenka asked as soon as the two officers were far enough away to avoid being overheard.

McKay nodded. "Yup. What do you think?"

"Fine… I mean… Yeah. Only… I'm not sure about her sense of humor. 'Book early to avoid dissapointment?'"

"I thought it was funny," McKay defended their new CO.

"Really?" Zelenka repeated.

McKay shot him a look.

"Still… she did remind me of someone…"

"Who?"

Zelenka shrugged. "I can't remember. Just. Someone…"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

She'd known what the looks meant as soon as she'd said the line. But then again, he'd warned her. Delivery was everything.


	2. Drinks

As he and Jennifer headed to get that drink, a familiar looking figure ducking into one of the rooms ahead caught Rodney's attention. "Well, that was strange," he observed.

"What?"

"That looked like…. But why would General O'Neill be on Atlantis? And what on earth would he be doing in the infirmary?"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

It was sitting on his dresser when he entered his quarters - a chilled six-pack. Grabbing the post-it note stuck to the side of the container, he read: "Thanks, McKay. I owe you one."

He had no idea who'd left it, or why.

And he didn't even like Guinness.


	3. Carter Still Can't Draw

_A/N: This one isn't a drabble. I couldn't bear to shrink it to fit._

_-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-_

He'd seen her doodling on the sheet of paper throughout the meeting, though he was fairly certain he was the only one close enough to know she hadn't simply been taking notes. Not that he could blame her. The Korlan ambassador was boring enough to have tried the patience of a saint, and despite all she'd done, Shepherd was certain Colonel Carter was merely mortal. And over the course of the last few months, as he'd seen more and more glimpses of the woman behind the myth - as it were - he'd become ever more convinced of that. Though he had to admit, despite her questionable sense of humor, he preferred this strangely changed Carter to the far more subdued and distant woman he'd first met years earlier during his initial F-302 training.

It wasn't until they were standing up to leave the room, though, the meeting finally completed, that Shepherd got a glimpse of the paper itself. It was just about the last thing in the world he would have expected her to have been drawing: two stick figures, holding 'hands' with a heart over them, and the initials in the heart…

Carter pulled the stack of papers she'd been holding to her chest, cutting off his view. He glanced up quickly to find her looking at him, a slow blush spreading across her features.

Sometimes, the simplest and most obvious explanations really were best. "Homesick?" he asked with a smile.

She smiled back at him, her sudden embarrassment at being caught replaced by something he thought might have been gratitude. "A little," she admitted.

"Aren't we all?" he replied and, gathering up his own papers, turned to follow the rest of his team out the door.

He never did find out whose initials had been in the heart. Not that it really mattered. He probably wouldn't have known the guy anyway.


	4. Medical Supplies

_A/N: They keep getting longer.. And longer…_

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

She found her standing at the observation deck outside the 'gateroom, idly playing with something in her hands as she looked out across the moonlit sea.

"Colonel Carter?"

The other woman turned, quickly thrusting her hands into her pockets, but not before Jennifer saw the glint of metal in her hand. Or the unshed tears in her eyes. "Yes?"

Keller presented the box she'd been carrying to Sam. "This came with the last bunch of supplies from Earth. It was in a crate marked medical, so we opened it before realizing this box was addressed specifically to you."

"Really?" Sam reached forward, taking the box. As she pulled back the flaps of cardboard closing it and looked inside, a slow blush spread across her features along with a smile, replacing her earlier sadness. She looked back up at Jennifer and said, with more than simple courtesy, "Thank you."

"No problem," Jennifer responded. And then, though she'd had no idea why anyone would be sending Sam a bottle of Krug Grande Cuvee, a flash drive, and a pack of D-Batteries until the moment she had reached forward and Jennifer had realized the glint of metal had not been from something _in_ her hand but _on_ it, she took a guess. "And, Sam?"

"Yes?"

"Happy Anniversary?"

Sam froze, and for a moment Jennifer thought she might have guessed incorrectly. But then Sam's face broke into a grin which seemed to light the night around her as she said, "Thank you." And then, turning towards the deck's exit, she added, "Now… if you'll excuse me?"

Jennifer nodded, unable to suppress her laughter as Sam hurried from the deck. Then left alone, she turned and took the other woman's place at the rail, looking out across the moonlit sea.


	5. Connections

He stepped into the Colonel's office and waited patiently before her desk for her to acknowledge his presence. She was listening to music, and the song which played softly from the unseen speakers was strangely familiar, though for the life of him Ronon couldn't place it. It was certainly from Earth, he could recognize the style. And it wasn't as if he had heard that much Earth music. Well, Johnny Cash notwithstanding, of course.

He glanced around the office, at the strange objects on her bookshelves and the pictures on the shelf behind the desk….

That was when he placed the music. He'd heard it on Earth, at the SGC in General O'Neill's temporary office. And on the General's desk had been a picture. Ronon hadn't really paid attention at the time, but now…

Colonel Carter glanced up at him. She must have noticed something in his expression, because she asked, her smile turned slightly quizzical. "What?"

For a long moment he simply looked at her, returning her smile with a slight one of his own as he considered their commander closely, going over all the clues he'd had - clues no one else would likely notice - that she wasn't the single and available woman Rodney had claimed she was. Then, finally, smiling, he said, "Nothin'," and then, "You wanted to see me?"


	6. December 29th

_A/N: Twilight506 on GW gave birth to this one, but you might actually have to be from the Midwest yourself to truly understand it._

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Sergeant Klemmens glanced down at the recipe printed out in his hand. He shook his head unbelievingly. Still… Orders were orders. And he had been ordered - specifically, and from someone rather high up given the urgency placed on it - to serve the thing tonight. Which, despite his eight years in the service, might have been the single strangest thing he'd ever been ordered to do.

-o-o-o-o-o-

"What is _that_?" Teyla asked, pointing towards the steaming dish of food sitting under the commissary's warming lamps.

Colonel Carter, who had walked up behind her, laughed as she saw what Teyla was looking at. "Tater-Tot Hotdish," she explained through her laughter.

"Looks… Interesting," Sheppherd observed from Teyla's other side.

"What is it?" Teyla asked.

"I have no idea," her teammate admitted.

Colonel Carter was already helping herself to a large serving. "It's a Tater-Tot hot dish."

"A _what_?" both her companions asked.

"Tater-Tot hot dish," their commander repeated. "Very popular throughout the Midwest. Supposedly. Especially in places where it gets _really_ cold. From what I've been told, its one of those few things nearly _anybody_ can cook, though I've never actually made it myself."

"But you've had it before?" John asked, still sounding dubious.

"Yup," Sam replied. "At least once a year. For the last few years, at least," she added, her smile growing wider and slightly enigmatic as she spoke.

And with that, her own tray filled, Sam stepped away and headed towards her customary table in the corner. As she passed near where Jennifer Keller was sitting with Rodney McKay, the younger woman called out to her, "Hey, Sam."

The Colonel paused, "Hi, Jennifer."

"Happy Birthday."

Sam smiled, "Thanks!" and continued on her way.


	7. Stasis

She found her where she'd expected to find her, outside on the balcony overlooking the alien sea, gazing up at the moons floating overhead. They seemed so close she felt certain she could reach out and touch them.

Jennifer cleared her throat before speaking. "Colonel Carter?"

The other woman turned with a start. "Yes?"

She pointed towards the Colonel's ear. "We tried to page you…?"

Carter fumbled briefly with the device in her ear. "Oh, yeah. I turned it to emergency only…"

Jennifer refused to take the hint. "We're having a sort of… party… thing inside. For Carson Beckett. It was Sheppherd's idea. Something about keeping Rodney from 'brooding', I believe." She smiled, keeping her tone light and making quotation marks in the air around 'brooding' as she spoke.

The Colonel returned her smile, though her eyes remained shuttered. "Yeah… I'd heard. I think I'll pass, actually… but thanks."

Keller studied the other woman intently for a moment. "I'm thinking… Maybe Rodney's not the only one who shouldn't be brooding…?"

This time Sam's smile was more genuine. "That obvious?"

"Yeah," Jennifer admitted.

Carter sighed heavily. "I guess putting Beckett into stasis today just stirred up some old… memories."

"Standing out here's helping, then?"

Sam snorted in self-derision. "No, I guess not."

Jennifer gestured back inside with her thumb. "Then come back inside. Join us."

Carter hesitated, but at least she was considering it. "Oh.. I dunno… I mean, I am the boss and all…"

"It wasn't my idea to come find you, you know," Jennifer observed. "I just figured I might know where you were…"

"Really?" Hesitancy had been replaced with something else. Hope, maybe.

Keller laughed. "You may be the boss, but you don't exactly, you know, _suck_."

Then Sam really did laugh. "Well, as long as I don't _suck_…"

"See? So… C'mon."

"Sure. Why not?" And, still laughing, she followed Keller back inside.


	8. Passing Notes

The small conference concluded, Woolsey stood up to leave. General O'Neill remained seated next to him. "General, are you coming?" he asked.

"No… I don't think so. You don't need my help…." Considering how adamant the man had been just a few minutes earlier in insisting Woolsey's taking over command of the Atlantis expedition was a really bad idea, Woolsey figured he was getting off easy with only slight sarcasm.

Woolsey stiffened slightly, but it was no good reminding either man - again - that this had really not been his own idea. "Well, then, gentlemen, I'd better get down to the 'Gateroom."

Now it was Landry's turn. "Yes, you do that, Woolsey."

With a final nod to both officers, Woolsey turned to leave Landry's office. Out of the corner of his eye as he was leaving, he saw O'Neill lean forward, holding out a small envelope to the other man. "Hank, I was wondering if you could do me a favor…?" he began just as Woolsey reached the door and stepped from the room.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Woolsey was still working in the conference room when Colonel Carter stepped from Landry's office. He braced himself, preparing for her reaction. He didn't deserve it - none of it was his fault - but he could understand the woman's shock and anger.

She didn't even seem to notice he was there.

Instead, her entire attention was devoted to the object clasped in her hand. Pausing just inside the conference room, she tore the envelope open and pulled out the small piece of paper folded inside. As she unfolded and read it, her entire demeanor changed. He could practically see the tension wash off her; a slight smile played across her features.

Looking up from the note, she finally noticed him sitting at the table. A slight blush spread across her face as she said, "Oh. Mr. Woolsey. I didn't see you there."

"Just getting some of the final paperwork done before I leave."

She smiled wryly. "Ah… paperwork. Never seems to be an end to that, does there?"

"No, there doesn't," he agreed. "But, without paperwork…?"

He thought he might have heard her snort lightly under her breath. "Good luck on Atlantis, Mr. Woolsey," she said.

He nodded. It was more civility than he had expected, under the circumstances. "Thank you, Colonel. And good luck to you in whatever you do."

Her smile grew wider… and strangely enigmatic. "Thanks. I'm sure I will." Then, with a final nod - the note still clutched in her hand - Carter quickly left the room.

-o-o-o-o-o-

_A/N: For those who simply must know, what the notes says can be found in Intimacy, Chapter 2 : /s/4409678/2/Intimacy_


	9. Touched

_A/N: And we're back to a proper drabble. I apologize, btw. I'm apparently touched as well._

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Todd watched through the bars as John Shepperd led Colonel Carter and the other human - he believed they'd called him 'General O'Neill' - from the cell. The corners of his mouth curved into a small, satisfied smile. The interrogation had gone rather well. He'd told them nothing and they remained uncertain what to do with him. Which was better than the alternatives….

As they followed Shepherd from the room, O'Neill's hand rested briefly on Carter's hip, guiding her through the door ahead of him. Todd's eyes narrowed.

He wasn't sure why, but for some reason he really didn't like that man.


End file.
